British High Court Accepts Appeal of Palestine Jew Convicted in Arms Trial

The judicial committee of the Privy Council, the British Empire’s last court of appeals, today agreed to hear an appeal by Leib Sirkin, who was sentenced to ten years imprisonment in Palestine last September for illegal possession of arms and arms smuggling.

Sirkin is basing his appeal on the grounds that the offense of which he was convicted is ” unknown to Palestine law.” Lord Simon, who presided at the hearings, said that the Judicial Committee was not concerned with questions of fact but only with questions of law.

As a result of the committee’s decision Sirkin’s solicitors are expected to file an appeal shortly. Sirkin was represented by the well known liberal barrister D. N. Pritt, who is a Laborite member of Parliament, and by Leonard Stein, president of the Anlo-Jewish Association.